The Everyday Ageism Project: Older People Seen as a Burden and a Drain on Resources

The Everyday Ageism Project

The Everyday Ageism Project aims to capture people’s everyday experiences of ageism. Research by EURAGE shows that across the European region, ageism is the most commonly experienced form of prejudice, yet relatively little is known about how it is experienced, who experiences it and the situations which may leave people vulnerable to age discrimination.

By providing a safe forum for people to anonymously share their experiences, the project aims to understand the consequences of ageism and the ways that age discrimination can affect people’s everyday lives. We also wish to encourage people to share their stories to show that ageism does exist and that it is a valid problem worth discussing.

Click here to submit your experience of ageism.

Thursday, 24 October 2013

Older People Seen as a Burden and a Drain on Resources

... causing traffic jams and impeding business people

I was phoned by a young reporter (about 2008) to be told that older people were perceived to be a burden and a drain on resources by the local county council. In my experience the same attitude exists in local town councils. At a transport committee it was made clear that the local council wanted to attract businessmen. They said they did not want older people, and young mothers driving cars and cluttering up the roads. It was stated that these mothers and pensioners were the cause of traffic jams impeding the business people. Sadly most of the committee were men well over 60. When I went to give a talk to a forum about transport issues that affect older people, shortly afterwards, in the council offices building, I asked some men who looked of retirement age, standing in a group, if they were going to attend the talk. One man was so outraged he asked me if he looked like a pensioner, and I had to tell him he did. Ageism is self-perpetuating.